Article of jewelry and the like



June 21, 1938. LE'ROY H. FONTAN ARTICLE OF JEWELRY AND THE LIKE Filed D60. 4, 1937 INVENTOR Le Roy H Fogfun M c 1 nuyjglol u r Patented June 21, 1938 UNlTED. STATES PATENT oFFice",

Le Roy H. Fontan, Rutherford, N. J.

Application December 4, 1937, Serial No. 178,044

3 Claims.

This invention relates to articles of jewelry.

More particularly, this invention relates to articles of jewelry of the nature of charms, that is, small decorative objects to be worn on a chain, bracelet, fob or the like.

An object of the invention is the simulation, by such decorative object, of a package of merchandise of general purchase and common usage, such as a package of cigarettes, chewing gum or the like, the package containing such merchandise being commonly carried on the person.

Illustrative of one embodiment of this invention, the stated charm may simulate a package of cigarettes, one portion of an end surface of which has been removed, as is the common practice, to provide access to cigarettes contained therein. To simulate one or more of the cigarettes contained in the package, a suitably configurated and decorated filler or slide-member may be slidably housed within the container in alignment with an opening thereof, and guided by means inclusive of the side walls of such eontainer to be slidable through the stated opening on suitably tilting the charm. Desirably, stop means are provided to limit the extent of ejection of the filler to a suitable fraction of its total length; accordingly, the arrangement of the stated filler simulates not only the customary arrangement of cigarettes in a package, but also the conventional method of partially ejecting such cigarettes from the package by tilting or tapping the same to provide for the subsequent complete withdrawal of a cigarette from the package.

Further features and objects of the invention will be more fully understood from the following detail description and the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective, greatly enlarged, of one embodiment of this invention, the decorative object in this embodiment representing a package of cigarettes;

Fig. 2 is a view illustrating the article of Figure 1 having been tipped to cause a partial ejection of a filler simulating the merchandise content of such package;

Fig.- 3 is a vertical section taken through 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical endwise section, taken through 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing, a charm or similar decorative object includes a hollow container or casing I0 desirably simulating, in form and decoration, a package for merchandise: in the embodiment of the invention illustrated, a package for cigarettes or the like. An opening II formed in the upper wall or top of the container, such opening being preferably at an end-portion of the wall, communicates with the hollow interior portion thereof. and configuration, simulates the common practice of tearing away a portion of the top of a cigarette package to expose a portion of the cigarettes therein and make themaccessible for removal.

Preferably opposite said opening, and at or near the top of the container I0, there are provided suitably secured links I2, I3, by which the charm may be suspended from a chain, bracelet or the like, in accordance with the familiar manner of Wearing such objects.

Desirably, the container I0 is formed from gold, silver or similar precious and/ or decorative metal. The top, bottom and side walls of the simulated package may be formed from a continuous strip 4 or ribbon I4, suitably bent as indicated in Fig. 3, the opening II advantageously being made by turning an end Ma of the wall-forming strip downwardly and parallel to side wall portion Mb thereof. To complete the package, facing walls, as I5, I6, Figs. 1 and 4 may be secured to the continuous edge-wall strip by suitable means. At least one of said facing walls, as l6, Fig. l, is decorated in a manner suitable to a conventional cigarette package.

To simulate the merchandise content of the package-in the embodiment illustrated, a quantity of cigarettesa filler ll, formed preferably from a suitably colored bar or wire of generally rectangular cross section, such bar having suitable longitudinal and endwise scorings to designate individual cigarettes, may be slidably housed within the package. In particular, filler I! may be arranged to slide through opening I I, being guided in such movement by a chamber or guideway formed by side Wall Mb, the interior guide-strip Ma, and the respective front and rear facing walls I6, I5. A stop I8, such as a suitable strip of metal projecting sidewardly from filler I1, is arranged to strike against the bottom of the stated guide-strip I40, to limit the degree of displacement of said filler with respect to the container. The filler, with its appurtenant stop I8, maybe placed in position prior to the complete closure of the container by one of the facing walls l5, I6; the filler is thus slidably confined within the container and held against complete slidable removal therefrom by the cooperating stop I8 and guide-wall Ma.

By making filler ll of length permitting its end surfaces to be substantially flush with the Opening II, in size, location top of the container when the charm is in upright, i. e., Fig. 1 position, thus making such end surfaces at all times visible through opening II, a package of cigarettes having a part of its top torn away is effectively imitated, such imitation being delightfully enhanced by tilting the container, as illustrated in Fig. 2, or by shaking or tapping it, to cause the partial ejection of the filler I! from the container in conformity with the familiar custom of tapping, shaking, or tilting a cigarette package to partially eject the contents thereof.

Whereas I have described my invention by reference to specific forms thereof, it will be understood that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. An article of jewelry comprising, in combination, a casing simulating a package containing units of merchandise, an opening formed at one end of a wall of said casing, an insert slidably contained in said casing, said insert simulating units of the. merchandise content thereof and being in alignment with said opening, means for guiding said insert through said opening in simulation of a partial ejectment of such merchandise from the package, and means adapted to limit the extent of ejectment of said insert.

2. A decorative charm comprising, in combination, a casing simulating a package containing units of merchandise, an opening in a Wall of said casing disposed adjacent a side wall thereof, a guide disposed parallel to said wall and in alignment with an edge of said opening, said guide terminating short of the bottom wall of said casing, a relatively heavy insert slidably contained within said casing between the said side wall and the said guide, said insert thereby being disposed in alignment with said opening, and stop means formed on said insert and disposed to be intercepted by the terminus of said guide, whereby on suitable displacement of said casing the said insert may slide through said opening under the pull of gravity to the limit afforded by such stop means.

3. An article of jewelry comprising, in combination, a casing simulating a package of cigarettes, an opening formed at one end of the top of said casing, an insert slidably contained in said casing, a portion of said insert simulating a group of cigarettes and being in alignment with said opening, a portion of said insert being oiiset from said first named portion to form stop means, and means for guiding said first named portion of said insert through said opening in the casing, said means being adapted to cooperate with said stop means for limiting passage of said insert through said opening.

LE ROY H. FONTAN. 

